From Cleveland Clinic
While counting out my multivitamins, Vitamin D, iron and other supplements, I wondered if it was all too much. According to a Cleveland Clinic doctor, it may be. Here’s what she says on the topic:
With so many supplements being promoted on social media these days, it can be tempting to want to try them all. However, taking too many can be unsafe.
“When you take too many, it is a burden to the body, particularly to the kidney and to the liver. In addition, it can interact with the medicines you’re already taking. And particularly for those people who are at higher risk of having medicine and herb or supplement interactions, they really need to watch out for excess and a side effect,” says Yufang Lin, MD, who specializes in integrative medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Lin says supplements should be treated the same as medication. Meaning, it’s best to make sure you really need them and aren’t just taking something you saw randomly promoted online.
It’s also important to understand that many supplements don’t have scientific backing and are
not FDA-approved. However, if you are going to take any, she recommends first checking to see if they are third-party tested and screened for heavy metals and contaminants.
“Anything beyond the vitamins and minerals, particularly when it involves botanicals, nutraceuticals, or extracts coming from plants, you want to be very careful because there’s potential for medicine and herb interactions, or even toxicity or contaminants. So, you want to work with a provider who’s trained in assessing the need and the potential side effects and interactions to guide you through this process,” Dr. Lin says.
